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New to sausage making but not to cooking/curing/smoking. I'm from Long Island, the sausage making capital of the world.

I can't believe how many grinders there are in the $150 range. It's enough to make one's head spin. After some exhaustive research on grinders I've narrowed it down to the Kitchener #12 and the LEM #8. They are both in my price range and I'll only be using it for about 5 lbs at a time for making ground beef and ground pork.

So, if you're on a deserted island with a limitless supply of pork butt for sausage and chuck roasts for hamburger and had to choose just ONE of these two, which one would you choose and why? Oh yeah, the deserted island has a 110VAC power receptacle in case you were wondering.

Thanks!

Coach

Welcome Coach. I'd go with the #12 not because of the brand but because of the larger throat and more options on plates.

And when did Long Island become the sausage capital of the world...I never got the memo.

I'd go with the Kitchener and I think that Northern tool has them on sale for $99

DanMcG wrote:And when did Long Island become the sausage capital of the world...I never got the memo.

Just now.

I'd go with the #12.

Okay, just bought the Kitchener #12 for $99 on A-zon along with 2 tubes of food grade equipment lubricant. The first test will probably be some ground chuck for hamburger. In the past I've tried using a hand-cranked grinder with awful results. Meat came out pasty and crumbly. In retrospect, I wasn't working "cold" enough. I've since learned to partially freeze the meat to be grinded first, even to go as far as to put the metal grinding components in the freezer an hour before the grind. Am I on the right track here?

Very cold, but not frozen, would be choice.

Plus, make sure that the flat of the grinder blade is really tight against the plate.

Welcome to the forum, even though you're a whole continent adrift with regards to the sausage capital!

Phil

Thanks again, all, for the replies. I should get the grinder in about a week and will report back. As for the sausage capital of the world, yeah, I know, but it's good fodder for a cool sig.

Welcome to the forum. Try a bit of smoked Spanish paprika in your hamburger and form the patties loosely (this is different when it's time to make sausage).